White Wedding
by Milotic
Summary: You are cordially invited to the wedding of Mrs. Delia Ketchum and Professor Samuel Oak. Contains many shippings, but focuses on Pokeshipping.
1. The Training Partner and the Hug

White Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

The Training Partner and the Hug

It was a beautiful day in Pallet, a small town located in the Kanto region. The Pidgey were chirping merrily. The Butterfree were flitting about the meadows, happily participating in courtship rituals. The Rattata and Raticate were busy eating the beautiful flowers that the women of Pallet had spent long hours planting. The...

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Ash Ketchum, I swear, if you went through my belongings and...and...scattered my...um, unmentionables all over the place I am going to pound you to a pulp!" a redheaded young woman yelled.

"Misty, I swear I didn't do it!" A young man with jet black hair slowly backed away from his adversary, the redhead, cowering slightly.

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Guys will you be quiet! I'm trying to put Happiny to sleep." A tanned, toned young man scolded his younger companions, turning towards his pink little fluff ball of a Pokemon and sighing.

"Sorry, Brock," the redhead replied, "but Ash went through my belongings and threw my, um, you know all over the room. Look at the mess he's made of my stuff, and _that _stuff on top of it all."

"Misty, I told you I didn't do it!" The black haired young man was practically yelling now, his voice almost matching in intensity and pitch that of his redheaded companion...almost.

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

Thus was the scene at the Ketchum residence in Pallet town. Ash Ketchum, black haired young man and future Pokemon Master, stood in a corner of his messy, Pokemon themed bedroom, shaking slightly. Misty, fiery redhead and water Pokemon trainer, glowered at Ash, looking quite menacing. Brock, the older, tanned, toned boy and aspiring Pokemon breeder, shook his head in exasperation, trying desperately to put his baby Happiny to sleep.

"Well, _Ash_, if you didn't scatter my underwear all over the place, who did?" Misty questioned.

"I don't know, _Misty_; maybe you should ask Brock if he did it," Ash replied hotly.

"Why would Brock throw my, um, you know all over the room?"

"Hey, leave me out of this," Brock began, but Ash was already cutting him off.

"Misty, why would _I _throw your underwear all over the place?"

"Because you're..." This time it was Misty who was cut off by Ash.

"Because I'm what, Misty? Well, what am I?"

"Because you're..." Damn. Misty had run out of insults, having already used all of her favorites earlier in the argument, which had been going on for quite some time now.

Before Misty could think of an appropriately biting and nasty name to call Ash, a round blue Pokemon with a blue ball at the end of its tail came waddling into the room. A lacy pink bra sat atop its head and a pair of underpants covered in Horseys hung off the ball at the end of its tail.

"Azurill, what are you doing with my stuff!" Misty shrieked, growing increasingly red as she realized that even more of her unmentionables were now in plain view of her two male companions.

"Pika!" A small, yellow mouse Pokemon suddenly appeared from behind the blue one.

"Pikachu! What is it, buddy?" Ash questioned.

"Pikachu! Pika!" the yellow Pokemon exclaimed, pointing at the blue Pokemon.

"Pikachu, are you trying to say that Azurill scattered Misty's underwear all over the place?" Ash asked his friend.

"Pikachu." The electric Pokemon nodded.

"What?! That's ridiculous! Why would Azurill do such a thing?" Misty was positively furious now. "Look at you, Ash, trying to place the blame on an innocent baby Pokemon! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Pikachu wouldn't lie, Misty!" Ash was becoming increasingly angry now, too. "You saw it nod when I asked it if Azurill threw your stuff around. Why don't you ask Azurill if it did the deed?"

"What?! No...no...I can't do that!" Damn again. Misty was well aware that Azurill was just a baby and, as such, did not know better than to go in her bag and to throw her most private belongings around the room. What was she going to do now?

"Why not, Misty? Are you afraid to hear the truth?" Ash taunted.

"N-n-no. I just don't see why Azurill would possibly do such a thing," Misty hastily replied.

On the verge of becoming furious, Ash decided to take things into his own hands. "Azurill, did you take Misty's things and throw them all over the place?" Ash bent down close to the tiny blue Pokemon.

"Azurill!" The baby Pokemon simply yelled gleefully and hopped up and down on its tail.

"That looks like an affirmative to me," Ash stated.

"What?! You have no idea what Azurill just said! It's not like it nodded its head or something," Misty retorted.

"That's because it doesn't have a head!" Ash returned. "It's just one big round ball!"

"How dare you talk about my Azurill like that?!" Misty cried.

"Well it's true," Ash replied, sniggering (although he stopped after receiving the Glare of Death from Misty). "I think you just don't want to face the fact that you not only wrongly accused me, but you also haven't trained your Pokemon very well. What kind of Pokemon goes in its master's bag and throws its master's underwear all over the place?"

"My Azurill is perfectly well trained, Ash," Misty shot back, fuming.

"Then are you calling Pikachu a liar, Misty?"

"W-w-what? N-n-no!" Damn yet again. There was no way Misty could call Pikachu a liar (not only because she knew it wasn't, but also because she didn't want to lose the electric mouse's friendship), but she couldn't admit to being wrong either...not in front of Ash, anyway.

"Well, what do you say, Misty?"

"Umm..."

Luckily for Misty, the gang of three (yes, Brock was still there—he just knew to keep quiet during these fights) heard the door downstairs open as two voices filled the house.

"It's Mom and Dawn! They must have come back from shopping for the wedding cake!" Ash exclaimed, rushing out of the room.

Misty let out a sigh of relief. That was too close.

"You got off easily this time, Misty," Brock began wisely, "but I'd think twice about making accusations from now on if I were you."

A small "hehe" was all Misty could manage.

* * *

It was a summer of love in Pallet town. Mrs. Delia Ketchum, homemaker, gardener, and trainer of a Pokemon named Mimey (as well as mother to Ash Ketchum), was to marry Professor Samuel Oak, Pokemon researcher extraordinaire. The whole town of Pallet, population approximately one thousand, was psyched for the wedding, as the Pokemon professor was the closest thing they had to a celebrity and Mrs. Ketchum's son, Ash, had become quite well-known because of all of his accomplishments as a Pokemon trainer. Not every town of one thousand could boast of a Battle Frontier Champion, especially one still a teenager.

Things were quite busy at the Ketchum residence as preparations for the wedding were underway. Today Mrs. Ketchum and Dawn, a Pokemon coordinator who traveled with Ash and Brock in the faraway region of Sinnoh, had just returned home after picking out the wedding cake.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Misty exclaimed, looking at the picture of the cake Mrs. Ketchum and Dawn had picked out.

"Thank you, Misty," Mrs. Ketchum replied.

"I can't wait to eat that thing," Ash squealed.

"Ash, the purpose of the cake isn't to act as food; it's to add beauty and splendor to the wedding," Dawn chastised.

"Dawn's right, Ash," Misty began. "Don't you know anything?"

"Of course I do! I know plenty!" Ash returned.

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

Dawn and Mrs. Ketchum both sweat dropped as Brock sighed, more than accustomed to this kind of argument.

"Haven't you two done enough of that today?" Brock stated.

"Sorry," the two teens replied.

"I'm bored," Ash whined, having already grown tired of looking at the picture of the cake.

"You're always whining, Ash. I wish you would stop," Misty scolded.

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"SHUT UP!" Brock had had it. There was no way he would take anymore of this incessant arguing. It was practically all Ash and Misty had done since Misty had arrived from her gym in Cerulean City at the Ketchum residence for the wedding a few days after Ash, Brock, and Dawn had traveled there from Sinnoh.

Misty and Ash both turned away from each other, each one adding a "humph" as he or she quieted down.

"Thank you," Brock stated.

"Ash, sweetie, why don't you spend some time training. I know you're taking a break from your training in Sinnoh to be here for the wedding, but you've barely done anything since you arrived," Mrs. Ketchum told her son.

"Yeah, Ash, your skills are probably already getting rusty." Misty winked at Ash, intending for her comment to be in friendly jest.

"Are not!" Ash had clearly taken Misty's statement the wrong way.

There was no way Misty could back down from a fight, even if she hadn't intended to start one. "Are--"

"Don't even think about it!" Brock shot an evil look at Misty, who decided it was probably in her best interest not to finish her statement.

"I want to work on training my Buizel," Ash began, "and I want my opponent to be a water Pokemon."

Smiling, Misty began to reach for her bag. Who would she choose? It had been so long since she had battled with Ash, and she was determined to win. Giddy with excitement, she pulled out Gyarados's Pokeball. There was no way that little Buizel could win, no matter how determined and arrogant it was.

"No, I don't want to battle _you_," Ash began angrily. "I want to battle Dawn's Piplup. Don't you know that Dawn's my training partner?"

"Oh. OK," Misty stated, trying her hardest not to sound hurt, not to sound as though she cared (which she did, quite a bit, but there was no way she was giving Ash the satisfaction of knowing that). Since when did Ash have a training partner? Since when was it Dawn?

Brock refereed the match as Misty sat on the sidelines playing with Azurill, scowling all the while. She was too angry and upset to even squeal over the adorable Piplup, which she adored.

"Buizel, use Quick Attack!"

Before Dawn could even react, Buizel had tackled Piplup. The little penguin Pokemon was far from beaten, though.

"Piplup, use Whirlpool!" Dawn instructed.

The small Pokemon used its little wings to direct a large whirlpool towards Buizel.

"Buizel, counter it with Sonic Boom!" Ash yelled.

The two attacks met in midair, causing an explosion. As the dust settled, it was difficult to tell who the victor was. Both Pokemon looked as though they had been knocked out from the blast.

"I declare this match a draw," Brock stated solemnly.

"Buizel, you did great." Ash hugged his Pokemon in appreciation for its hard work.

Misty found her self smiling at the sight. She had always loved the way Ash cared for her Pokemon. In fact, that was what first caused her to...wait! She was supposed to be angry with Ash! Why was it that she could always forget her anger so quickly? Humph.

* * *

The four young Pokemon trainers sat around the house watching reruns of the past year's Kanto Pokemon League Championships. While Ash and Brock sat slumped on the couch, splitting a bag of potato chips, Misty ran a brush through Dawn's luxurious hair. She had refused to speak to Ash after he had decided to train with Dawn instead of her. Try as she might she could not be angry with Dawn, whom she had quickly befriended upon meeting her a few days ago. Because of this twice as much anger was directed towards Ash.

"Dawn, your hair is so long and smooth and soft. How do you get it this way? What's your secret?" Misty questioned.

"Well, Misty, I just have Piplup use Bubblebeam on my hair every morning. It works wonders!" Dawn replied.

All Misty could do was sweat drop as Ash and Brock laughed, having already known Dawn's "secret."

"I wish I could have hair like yours," Misty sighed.

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen, Misty." Ash laughed at his statement.

"What was that?!" Misty glared at Ash.

"Um, nothing, hehe." Ash knew better than to keep going, but he thought of something that made him regain some of his confidence.

"Misty, I thought you weren't talking to me," Ash stated. "What happened?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, um, I'm not talking to you," Misty replied hastily.

"Well, technically you are," Ash retorted. When Misty shot Ash a look that could kill, he knew better than to keep pressing the issue.

Suddenly the doorbell rang.

Springing to his feet, Ash shouted, "that must be May and Max! They're finally here! Now we have everyone!"

Ash ran to the door, opening it to find a short boy with dark hair and glasses standing before him.

"Hey, Max!" Ash stated happily.

"Hey, Ash! Long time no see."

As Max entered the house, a brunette with striking blue eyes who stood at about the same height as Ash followed.

"May!" Ash ran towards the Pokemon Coordinator and quickly embraced her.

Brock, Dawn, and Max smiled at the exchange, but Misty could only gawk, her mouth open slightly. What had just happened? First Ash has a "training partner," and now this?

* * *

Author's Note: The semester from hell is finally over, and I can write again! This fic will be mostly pokeshipping (no, it's not going to be advanceshipping, so don't worry), but there will be other ships in here as well (including, of course, eldershipping). Which ships? You'll just have to wait and see!

I know this chapter is a little short, but the others should be longer. This is just to introduce the story and give some background. I'll have more details (including Misty's reaction to the "training partner" and the hug in depth, which I know you're just dying to read ;) ) in the next chapter.

I do have one quick question: how do I edit stories that I've already posted. I've found a couple of mistakes in two of the stories I've already posted, and I would really like to know how to fix them (since I hate it when things aren't perfect). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I hope everyone's in character. I think I've got the Kanto trio down pat, but I haven't seen too too much of AG and DP, so I'm not sure about the others. (By the way, in the episode "Steamboat Willies" I believe that Dawn really does say that she has Piplup use Bubblebeam on her hair.)

Please enjoy the story. Remember, if you read, please review. No one reviewed my last story, which made me sad because I worked really hard on it. It's more important to me that you review this one since it's a work in progress, but if you get a chance I'd love it if you reviewed the old one, too.

Thanks. :)


	2. More Hugs

White Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. 

More Hugs

All Misty could do was stare. Was she truly seeing what she thought she was seeing? There was no way she could be. Since when did Ash hug May? Hell, since when did Ash hug anyone? Ash was, err, not the hugging type (well, except for when it came to his mother and Pikachu). What about this training partner of his, too? Misty had never known Ash to have a training partner, and she certainly didn't know that it was Dawn. She figured that if Ash had a training partner it was her. They used to train together all of the time! Just what was going on? Was she drifting apart from Ash? Was Ash...

"Hey, Misty!"

"Huh?" Misty turned around to face the person who had addressed her. It was May.

"Oh, hi, May," Misty replied, still unsure about how she was feeling about the whole Ash and May Hug incident.

May approached her slowly and then, out of no where, began hugging Misty.

More than a bit surprised, Misty hesitated in returning the embrace but did so eventually, questioning what was going on.

After what seemed like an eternity to Misty, who was not used to being hugged by anyone, May released the redheaded water Pokemon trainer. 

"It's so good to see you, Misty," the Pokemon coordinator stated earnestly.

"Umm, it's good to see you, too, May," Misty replied, confused.

What was going on? First the hug between May and Ash, and now this? Well, maybe May just liked to give hugs, a thought that comforted Misty immensely. No, wait, that wasn't right; Ash had initiated the hug between himself and May! 

"Misty, are you alright?" Ash suddenly asked, interrupting Misty's rather frantic thoughts.

"I'm fine, Ash. What's it to you?" More than a little irritated by her confusion (and a lot irritated by the fact that Ash had hugged May), Misty snapped at the aspiring Pokemon Master. She and May had become fast friends when they had met back at the Togepi festival in Hoenn, and being angry at the sweet coordinator hardly seemed right, especially when it was Ash, not May, who had initiated the embrace. Misty decided to take her anger and frustration and confusion out on Ash. Yes, somehow that always seemed right.

"Whoa, what's your problem?" Ash questioned. 

"Nothing! I want to check on Azurill upstairs," Misty replied, trying to find a way to escape the situation. As much as she loved arguing with Ash (and she really did love it), sometimes she wanted to be alone with her feelings. This was one of those times. 

"But we have to go over to Professor Oak's to show him the picture of the wedding cake," Ash protested. "We promised Mom we would. She even made us a picnic lunch to have over at the reserve."

Ugh, how was she going to get away with not going? As much as Misty wanted to go upstairs and just have a good cry over The Hug and The Training Partner while everyone else visited the professor and enjoyed the picnic lunch, she knew there was no way she could fail to go without arousing suspicion in her companions, and there was no way she was going to let them know how she was feeling; she never let anyone know her true feelings...least of all Ash.

* * *

"Hello? Professor?" Ash slowly entered Professor Oak's Pokemon laboratory, looking for his mentor and soon to be father figure. "Is anyone here?"

Ash's friends followed him into the laboratory, wondering where the professor was. (Well, everyone except for Max, who was too busy squealing about how excited he was to meet the famed Pokemon researcher again, was wondering.) 

"Hey, guys!"

A young man with dark hair and a pink headband suddenly appeared in the hallway of the laboratory.

"Hey, Tracey!" everyone (except for Dawn, who had never met Tracey), responded in unison in that strange way they have a tendency of doing so.

Misty suddenly had a thought, a very strange thought that came to her out of no where. She ran towards Tracey and embraced him in a large hug.

"Whoa, hey, Misty," Tracey responded, more than a little confused, for, at the moment the thought had come to her and Misty had decided to hug Professor Oak's assistant, the Cerulean City gym leader had forgotten a very important fact: Tracey was dating her older sister Daisy. Yup, she was going to get hell for this one.

Tracey hesitantly returned the hug, but quickly let go. Blushing furiously, Misty backed away from Tracey and tried to fade into the woodwork of the professor's laboratory. Everyone else, embarrassed for Misty, acted like he or she hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Max was the first one to break the silence.

"Hey, Tracey, what have you been up to? Do you have any more cool gadgets for me?" Max eagerly asked his other idol. 

"No, I'm afraid not, Max," Tracey replied, relieved that the focus was off of his strange exchange with Misty. Just what was going on with that girl?

"Where's Professor Oak, Tracey?" Ash questioned.

"Oh, he's resting," Tracey stated. "His lumbago's acting up. I'll leave the picture in his room and then we can go outside and enjoy that picnic lunch your mom made." (Accustomed to Mrs. Ketchum's cooking, Tracey had grown to love it.) Tracey just wanted to get out of this laboratory and away from where his hug with Misty had occurred.

* * *

OK, so maybe hugging Tracey hadn't been the brightest idea, Misty mused while everyone was sitting out on the reserve and eating the lovely picnic lunch Mrs. Ketchum had prepared. It had seemed like a good idea at the moment; if Ash could hug his friend May, why couldn't she hug her friend Tracey? Because Tracey was dating her sister; that's why. She should have hugged Brock instead (Max, of course, was far too young), but she couldn't really just randomly go up to him and hug him, could she now? Hugging Tracey had seemed like such a good idea at the time, especially because Ash had hugged May; then again, May wasn't dating Ash's brother...wait, Ash didn't have a brother. Whatever.

As Dawn and May talked about Pokeblocks and Poffins and appeals and other things related to Pokemon coordinating, Misty sat by herself, feeling alienated from the girls because she did not share their interest in coordinating and alienated from the guys because, well, they were guys and she was a girl. Where did she fit in? Sulking quietly, Misty felt like she had no one and really wished she had stayed behind at the Ketchum residence so she could have been alone with her misery. Coming here and hugging Tracey and now feeling as though she didn't belong had only made her feel worse.

Ash, Brock, Tracey, and Max were eagerly discussing the latest battles that had occurred at the Indigo Plateau, where the Kanto Pokemon League Championships (which Ash had participated in during the beginning of his journey, finishing sixteenth) were taking place at that very moment. Ash's mind, however, was somewhere else.

Since when did Misty hug Tracey? Since when did Misty hug anyone? Misty wasn't a hugging kind of person. Ash wasn't sure why, but for some reason the fact that Misty had hugged the Pokemon watcher had made him feel bad...he wasn't exactly sure what he was feeling; he just knew that it felt bad. Something about it almost made him angry, in fact. A wiser, more mature young man might have more astutely picked up on how he was feeling and possibly even realized what Misty was trying to accomplish and why she had done what she had done, but Ash was neither particularly wise nor particularly mature. 

"Hey, Ash, did you hear what I just said?" Brock asked his younger friend.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, of course I did, Brock," Ash replied, though in reality he, of course, had no idea what the Pokemon breeder had said.

"Sure you did," Brock stated suspiciously.

Perhaps Misty would have felt a tad bit better had she known that her actions were producing their desired effect on Ash.

* * *

As the friends enjoyed their meal, someone interrupted them.

"Hey, Ashy Boy!"

"G-G-Gary!" Ash nearly choked on the food he was eating.

"That's right!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting my grandpa. Duh."

Suddenly Ash had an idea. 

"Hey, Gary, how would you like to have a rematch—Electivire versus Pikachu? You aren't going to say no to a battle, are you, Gary?"

"What? No way! You're on! You should expect to lose like last time, though." Gary smirked.

"This match is between Ash's Pikachu and Gary's Electivire," Brock, who usually refereed the group's matches, stated. "You may begin now."

Gary wasted no time and immediately ordered Electivire to use its most powerful attack.

"Electivire, use Giga Impact!" Gary commanded.

Ash was ready for this, however.

"Pikachu, dodge it with Agility!"

The small mouse Pokemon relaxed its body, growing increasingly agile until it was so fast it could barely be seen and successfully avoided the attack, which resounded with a loud "boom!"

"Don't think you're getting off that easily," Gary taunted. "Electivire, use Thunder!"

"Pikachu, counter it with your own Thunder attack!" 

Each attack hit its respective target, and both Pokemon struggled against the impact of the most powerful of electric attacks. 

"Hang in there, Pikachu!" Ash yelled, encouraging his most faithful Pokemon.

"Chu!" Poor little Pikachu suffered greatly from the Thunder attack of the larger and arguably more powerful Electivire. As the attack continued, it began to suffer visible damage. 

Soon both Pokemon had run out of electricity, and the Thunder attacks ceased. Electivire stood strong and erect; Pikachu, on the other hand, had sustained considerable damage and was struggling greatly. 

"Electivire, finish Pikachu off with Iron Tail!" Gary ordered.

Panicking, Ash made an incredibly rash decision. Knowing that Pikachu couldn't possibly take another attack without being hurt (and there was no Pokemon Center in Pallet Town), he leapt in front of Pikachu, taking on the brunt of the attack. Ash would rather suffer than see his most beloved Pokemon in pain. As the attack hit, Ash flew backward and landed in a crumpled mess.

"Ash!" all three girls shrieked at once.

"Ash! You idiot! What are you doing?" Gary yelled.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu squeaked in concern. 

"It's OK, Pikachu. It's only a scratch." Ash tried his best to reassure his Pokemon, but he winced while making his statement. 

It was not just a scratch, however; a deep, large, bleeding gash ran across Ash's left arm where the Iron Tail attack had hit. It was a truly awful sight.

"Let me look at it," Brock, the medical expert of the group, interjected.

"Well, it isn't too terribly deep and I don't think you'll need stitches. You're very lucky, Ash; it could have been a whole lot worse. You need to be more careful, though. Pikachu's a strong Pokemon and it can take care of itself. You shouldn't take on attacks that are meant for Pokemon and not humans," Brock scolded.

"Hehe." Ash sweat dropped.

"You'll need to apply pressure to it to stop the bleeding," Brock advised Ash.

"Here," Misty stated softly, startling everyone, and, reaching into her bag and pulling out a pink handkerchief much like the one she had given Ash years before, made her way towards Ash.

Misty gently held the handkerchief against Ash's wound (eliciting a small "owe" from Ash) and applied pressure. A tingling sensation made its way throughout Ash's body.

Despite his pain, Ash felt surprisingly good at that moment. He wasn't sure why, but the tingling sensation calmed him and made him slightly giddy. It was not at all uncomfortable; in fact, he rather enjoyed it.

"There. Just hold this against your arm and you should be alright." Misty then let go of Ash's arm and the tingling sensation slowly disappeared. For some reason this disappointed Ash greatly.

"Ash!" May suddenly came running over towards Ash and then flung her arms around him. "I was so worried! Please don't ever scare me like that again!" the brunette coordinator stated earnestly. 

"Sorry, May," Ash stated simply, returning the embrace.

Misty could hardly believe her eyes. Was she truly seeing this again? Well, May had hugged her, too, so maybe the coordinator just liked to hug people (as she had definitely initiated the embrace this time), a thought that made Misty feel slightly better. Wait, Ash had hugged May, too! What was going on?

"Hey, Misty!" Ash's voice snapped Misty out of her thoughts. "We're going to head back home now. Come on!"

The last thing Misty wanted to do was to be with everyone else. Struggling to fight back tears, she wanted nothing more than to be by herself. 

"Umm, you guys can go. I'm going to go over and visit the stream where the water Pokemon live." Misty was slightly choked up when she said this, although no one really noticed because she was so good at putting on a strong front. 

"But Misty, it'll be dark soon. You should come with us," Ash protested.

"I can take care of myself, Ash!" Misty's voice had a bit more malice in it than she had intended for there to be.

With that, Ash and the others set off towards the Ketchum residence, leaving Misty behind.

* * *

Misty sat by the water Pokemon's stream, lost in thought. Never in all of the time she had known May had she thought of the coordinator and Ash as a couple. Sure, she knew that they were great friends and was often jealous of their friendship, but she never thought that anything romantic was going on between her two friends. The evidence seemed incontrovertible at this point, though. Ash had hugged May and May had hugged Ash. Ash had never hugged Misty and Misty had never hugged Ash. Misty had never thought of May as a rival...wait! She didn't like Ash like that! Oh, who was she kidding? Oh course she did! She had for years! What about Dawn, though? Ash had called her his training partner. Did he like her, too? It was all too confusing.

Tears slowly made their way down Misty's face. The realization that she and Ash would never be more than friends hit hard. Sure, the rational side of her had always believed that she and Ash would never be a couple, but a part of her, however small, had always held on to hope. Now it seemed like that part had no reason to hope anymore.

Suddenly, Misty heard leaves crunching nearby.

Wiping her eyes, Misty tried to put on a brave front. 

"Who's there?" she called out in what she hoped was her strongest voice.

"It's just me," a deep male voice replied. Suddenly Brock emerged from behind the trees.

"Brock! Don't do that again! You scared me!" Despite her reprimanding, Misty was secretly glad to see the Pokemon breeder, who proceeded to sit down next to her.

"Sorry, Misty," Brock stated earnestly. "Now, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"What? Nothing's bothering me!"

"Then why did you not want to go to the Professor's for the picnic today? Why did you insist on staying back here by yourself when it was time to leave? Why did I find you here crying?"

"I wasn't crying!" Misty yelled. She hated for anyone to see her true emotions, and crying in front of people was a big no-no.

"Sure," Brock replied sarcastically. "Really, Misty, you can tell me what's wrong. I won't judge you."

Deciding that it was safe to perhaps share just a little of what she was feeling with Brock, Misty began.

"Well, it's just that, well, Ash and May have been hugging a lot lately, haven't they?" Misty tried to say this all very quickly.

"If by a lot you mean twice, then yes. Why does that bother you?"

"Umm, it doesn't! Who said that it did?"

"It bothers you because you love Ash and seeing him hug May has made you jealous," Brock stated wisely. 

"What! No, definitely not!" Misty couldn't believe what she was hearing! How could Brock have possibly known her secret?

"I know it's true, Misty. You hugged Tracey because you wanted to make Ash jealous."

"Ugh, hugging Tracey was so stupid! He must think I'm a freak! I hope he doesn't think I like him, because I don't! I mean, he's Daisy's boyfriend!" Misty finished, adding, "not that I don't like Tracey...well, you know what I mean."

"I know for a fact that Tracey knows you don't like him like that. He's the one who clued me in on your crush a couple of years ago. I was too blind to see it, but once he told me I was able to see all of the signs."

"Was it really that obvious?" Misty questioned timidly.

"Definitely," Brock replied.

"Well, do you know why Ash and May have been hugging?"

"I might. It's up to Ash or May to tell you, though. It's private. I can't tell you."

A small "oh" was all Misty could manage.

"Come on, Misty. Let's head back to the house." Brock offered his hand to Misty, pulling her up from the ground.

Sullenly, Misty followed Brock back to the Ketchum residence. Things were even worse than she thought. The secret between Ash and May had to be that they were dating. Why else wouldn't Brock tell her what was going on? He had to be trying to spare her feelings. Yes, that had to be right.

* * *

Author's Note: In care you're wondering what's going on, only half of this chapter was posted the first time, so I had to delete the chapter and then upload the completed one. The second half was gone from my Word document, too (I've been having a little bit of trouble with Word), so I had to rewrite it; I hope it's OK. Anyway, please read this new version of the chapter.

I said there would be multiple shippings in this story, and now you have one: handymanshipping (Tracey and Daisy). If you don't know what this is watch the Hosos/Pokemon Chronicles. It's adorable, and there's more of it to come.

Anyway, thanks to all who have reviewed. It means a lot to me. Enjoy, and don't forget to review. :)


	3. Truth or Dare

White Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Author's Note: When I first posted chapter two only half of the chapter was uploaded. I quickly deleted this version of the chapter and put up the new version, but some of you may not have caught it. If the version of chapter two you read seemed on the short side (and if you didn't read an author's note) then you've read the first, incomplete version. If this is the case please go back and read the full version before reading this chapter. Thanks and sorry for the confusion!

* * *

Truth or Dare

The Ketchum house was positively bustling. As the house's rather small kitchen table could not fit all of the Pokemon trainers staying at the residence, the gang had to eat dinner in the living room, being extra careful not to spill drinks on Mrs. Ketchum's living room furniture. A Pokemon match was showing on the television set and everyone was giddy and happy, talking joyously and enjoying the good food. Everyone except for one person, that is.

Try as she might, Misty could not enjoy her meal. Although the food was good (as Mrs. Ketchum's food always was), Misty found that she had no appetite to enjoy it; in fact, she felt slightly sick to her stomach. While everyone around her laughed, she felt very much like crying. Sure, part of her had always warned her that she and Ash would never be a couple, but it still hurt to know that he was dating May; it hurt badly. What did May have that she didn't? Well, May was pretty, talented, nice...

"Misty, are you alright?"

Misty looked over at Max, who had addressed her. Max was such a sweet boy. (She and Max had sort of bonded when they had gotten separated from the others while traveling around Mt. Moon.) As much as she wanted to just scream at that moment, she couldn't yell at Max. After all, it wasn't his fault that his sister was dating Ash. He was completely innocent. It looked like it was time to lie.

"I'm fine, Max," Misty replied in what she hoped was a sincere voice.

Max didn't look like he believed Misty, but luckily he let the subject drop.

"So, May how have things been in Johto?" Dawn began. "Have you won any ribbons yet?"

"Oh, I've won three so far. I only need to win two more in order to go to the Johto Grand Festival!" May replied excitedly.

"Isn't that great?!" Ash exclaimed earnestly.

"How do you like being on your own?" Dawn asked her fellow coordinator. "Don't you get lonely being alone like that?"

"May's not alone! She's always got—"

Before Max could finish his statement, May, blushing a deep crimson hue, covered his mouth so he could say no more.

"Hehe, no, I don't get lonely traveling by myself. In fact, it's quite nice to be able to travel without this one tagging along." May glared at her younger brother, who proceeded to stick his tongue out at her.

So, that was that, Misty thought. Surely Max was referring to Ash when he said that May was never alone; of course May was never alone because, though he wasn't physically with her in Johto, she always had Ash, her boyfriend, so she was never really alone. Misty, however, felt like she was all alone. She didn't have anyone...even Ash.

It was funny, Misty realized, that Max would use such words. Hadn't she, Misty, told Melody that Ash would never be alone because he would always have her? How ironic that those very words were now being used against her!

Misty would keep her word, though; whether he was dating May or not, she would always try to be there for Ash. Right now that meant being happy for him, so that's what she would try to do. Misty could only imagine how happy she would have been if Ash had returned her feelings, and if Ash was feeling that good right now because of May, well, she was glad for him. After all, all she really wanted was for Ash to be happy. That was how much she loved him.

"Hello? Earth to Misty!"

Ash's words brought Misty back from her thoughts. She would have to put on a brave front and pretend she was happy. Still, she would rather spend the night alone instead of with everyone. She wasn't sure she could pull off the happy thing quite yet. She'd have to practice some.

"Oh, sorry, Ash. Listen, I think I'm going to go upstairs and get to bed. I'm really tired," Misty replied.

"Are you sure, Misty? It's still pretty early." Ash was a bit confused as to why Misty would want to go to bed so early.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Goodnight, everyone."

With that, Misty headed upstairs.

* * *

Misty sat alone in the guest room, crying quietly. Pretending to be happy was going to be harder than she had thought. Maybe if she got all of her tears out now she could better pretend later when she was with everyone...

Suddenly Misty heard someone coming up the stairs. Panicking, she hastily wiped her eyes and swallowed her tears. Who else would be coming to bed this early?

Dawn entered the room. Much to Misty's surprise, she had tears rolling down her cheeks as well.

"Dawn, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Misty, I'm sorry. I thought you would be asleep by now," Dawn replied, blushing slightly because she had been caught crying.

Feeling sorry for the coordinator (for she certainly knew what it felt like to be upset at the moment as well as how embarrassing it was to be caught crying), Misty motioned for Dawn to sit down next to her. The coordinator obeyed.

"Can you tell me what's bothering you, Dawn? I won't tell anyone else; I promise."

"Well, OK, as long as you promise not to tell Ash and the others. It's just that, after you left everyone down there kept congratulating May on how she had three ribbons and saying what a great coordinator she is and how talented she is and how she'll probably win the Johto Grand Festival and everything!" Dawn hastily explained.

"And that makes you feel bad because they're not saying those things about you," Misty reasoned.

"Well, it's not just that; it's also the fact that those things are true about May and they're not true about me." With this Dawn began crying again.

"Why do you say that, Dawn? I'm sure you're a good coordinator, too," Misty soothed.

"No, I'm not! Misty, the truth is I only have one ribbon...and I've entered five contests! In the last two contests I didn't even make it past the appeals round! I don't even know if I'm going to be able to make it to the Sinnoh Grand Festival, never mind win it!" At this point Dawn began sobbing.

"It's alright, Dawn," Misty stated while rubbing the coordinator's back. "You'll earn the ribbons eventually. Besides, May's much more experienced than you; she's been a coordinator longer than you have."

"I know, but she seems so perfect!" Dawn wailed.

"No one's perfect, Dawn, not even May," Misty reasoned, although she had a hard time believing it herself. If Ash liked May, she was certainly a lot closer to perfect than Misty, whom he didn't like, was.

"Do you really think so?" Dawn asked.

Biting her lip, Misty responded. "Of course! Don't you know that May got off to a rough start, too? I mean, she may have won contests more easily than you have, but May didn't even know she wanted to be a coordinator until she had traveled quite a bit. At first she didn't even like Pokemon and wasn't very good with them."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better. Now it's your turn, though. Why were you crying when I came up here, Misty?"

"Wha?" Misty wasn't expecting that. She thought she had successfully hidden her tears from Dawn.

"I told you why I was upset; now you have to tell me why you're upset," Dawn argued.

"Umm, well..." What was Misty going to say? If she told Dawn that she was upset that Ash was dating May, Dawn would wonder why she was upset instead of happy for Ash. Then she might jump to conclusions...the right conclusions.

"You can tell me, Misty. I promise I won't tell anyone else. You helped me a lot tonight, and I want to be able to help you, too."

There was something about how sincere Dawn looked that made Misty say what she said next. The coordinator seemed so kind and sweet and had, after all, explained to Misty why she herself had been upset. It was only fair...

Misty sighed. "Well, I guess I'm just upset because Ash and May are, you know, a couple."

"They are?! That's news to me! Ash never told me that," Dawn admitted.

"No, he didn't tell me, either," Misty stated sadly. "It's so obvious, though. I mean, they keep hugging, and now Max said that May is never really alone; it must be because she has Ash. Also, Brock said that May and Ash have something that only one of them could tell me."

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense. Ash has been talking to May on the telephone a bit more than usual," Dawn explained.

"See?! I knew it!" This was just more confirmation that Ash and May were dating, confirmation Misty did not need. A small part of her had hoped that Dawn would be able to prove her wrong somehow, but it didn't look like that was going to happen.

"Why does that upset you, though?" Dawn questioned.

"Umm, err, because, umm, because Ash never told me! Yeah, that's it! It's because Ash never even told me. I mean, I thought we were good friends and everything, but Ash didn't even tell me that he was dating May, and that hurt my feelings."

It wasn't a total lie. It was true that the fact that Ash didn't disclose his relationship with May had hurt Misty's feelings. Of course, that wasn't the main reason she was upset.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" Dawn asked suspiciously.

"Positive," Misty replied emphatically. Suddenly an idea came to her.

"Will you help me out, Dawn? Will you look for signs that Ash and May are dating, and will you tell me if Ash admits to it?"

"Sure I'll help you out, Misty. I'll keep my eye on Ash and May for you," Dawn replied.

"Thanks. We should probably hit the sack. The others might be up soon and they'll expect us to be in bed."

* * *

Misty woke up in the middle of the night, feeling thirsty. Careful not to wake May and Dawn, who were staying in the guest room with her (Ash, Brock, and Max were in Ash's room), Misty crept out of the room and down the stairs to get a glass of water from the kitchen. Much to her surprise, however, she heard someone crying softly in the living room. "Not again," Misty couldn't help thinking. She quietly approached the living room to see who it was.

It was Ash.

Yet again, Misty could hardly believe her eyes. Was she really seeing this? Ash almost never cried. Misty couldn't help feeling sorry for her friend. She had to find out what was up.

"Ash?" She spoke very quietly.

"Huh? Oh, hi, Misty." Ash hastily wiped his eyes.

Sitting down next to the Pokemon trainer, Misty proceeded cautiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh? Nothing. Nothing's wrong," Ash lied.

"Don't be silly, Ash; of course something's wrong." Misty playfully punched Ash's shoulder.

Ash laughed, but quickly turned serious.

"Misty, can I talk to you?"

Misty was tempted by her current frustration to say "you should talk to your girlfriend" nastily, but she was overcome by how sad and helpless Ash looked at the moment; even she couldn't be mad at him when he was in such a state. Her love for him overcame any anger she might have been feeling. Besides, she wasn't supposed to know about Ash and May.

"Sure, Ash. What is it?"

"It's just that, well, I'm not sure how I'm feeling about Mom marrying the professor," Ash replied.

"What do you mean, Ash? You love Professor Oak! I thought you would be happy for him and your mother."

"I am!" Ash stated hastily, adding, "it's just that, well, I don't know..."

Suddenly something clicked in Misty's mind. She didn't know a whole lot about the Ketchum family, for it was the one thing Ash never blabbed on about, but she could make some guesses.

"You're thinking about your dad, aren't you?" Misty asked.

Ash nodded, and the tears slowly began to fall again.

"I mean, I know he left long ago when I was only a little kid to go on a Pokemon journey and that he never came back and lost contact with us years ago, so I don't really blame Mom for wanting to move on, but a part of me couldn't help wishing that, as unrealistic as it may be, someday he'd come back and we'd be a family again. When Mom marries Professor Oak that hope will be gone."

Oh, how familiar that sounded! Hadn't a part of Misty always hoped against hope that Ash would fall in love with her, and now that he was dating May that hope was gone for good? If Ash was feeling the same way Misty was feeling at the moment, then that meant he was feeling pretty damn bad, and Misty couldn't help but feel her heart break a little. Whether Ash was dating May or not, she still loved him, and seeing him in pain hurt her, too.

"If Mom marries the professor it will be like Dad's been totally forgotten and erased," Ash continued.

"Oh, Ash, it doesn't work like that," Misty soothed, putting her arm around Ash. The Pokemon trainer flinched slightly, but soon relaxed against Misty's touch.

"Why not?" Ash questioned.

"Because, even if your mom's moving on, it doesn't mean that she's forgetting your dad, and it definitely doesn't mean that Professor Oak's going to replace your dad, either. It just means that you'll be getting a new member of the family, and what could be bad about that? I know it hurts, Ash, but you've got to try to find the good in every situation."

Ash didn't look convinced, so Misty continued.

"When my mom died I felt so angry whenever Dad would date a new woman. It felt like he was trying to replace Mom and that he had forgotten her. Then one night I found him in the living room crying over a picture of my mother. That's when I knew he wasn't trying to replace her or forget her but that he was just trying to be happy and, in a way, to make me and my sisters happy, too. Then, of course, Dad died, too..."

Misty hadn't meant to say that, but it had slipped out. She felt a lump in her throat, but there was no way she was going to cry in front of Ash.

"I'm so sorry, Misty," Ash stated sadly. He then reached over and rubbed Misty's arm gently.

"That's OK, Ash." There. Misty had successfully swallowed her tears. Good ol' Misty, she was always good for that! What was with Ash rubbing her arm, though? Misty wished he hadn't stopped.

Deciding to change the subject so she wouldn't have to think about her parents' deaths, Misty plowed on.

"Don't you see, Ash? Your mom isn't trying to get rid of something good; she's trying to add something good. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does. Thanks, Misty."

The Ash did something Misty would never have dreamed he would do. He slowly wrapped his arms around her in an embrace and buried his head in her chest. Returning the embrace, which felt absolutely wonderful, Misty could only gasp in surprise and, perhaps more importantly, confusion.

* * *

The next day went on without a hitch. Misty, May, and Dawn went dress shopping with Mrs. Ketchum at Pallet's nicest dress shop while Brock took Ash, Tracey, and Max on the train to Viridian City to look for tuxedos.

Misty was still reeling from what had happened the night before. Why had Ash hugged her? Why had Ash hugged her when he was dating May? Was he dating May? Misty looked all day for signs from May that she was dating Ash but saw none, adding to her confusion. Surely the two were dating, though; there was so much evidence!

That night everyone settled into bed early, for the wedding was only in two days. As the girls prepared for bed, Dawn raised a question.

"How would you two like to play Truth or Dare?" Dawn asked.

Misty opened her mouth to object, for she hated that game (mainly because she was always afraid others would somehow find out about her feelings for Ash), but when she saw Dawn wink at her out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly understood Dawn's aim.

"Sure!" Misty cried happily.

"I don't know," May began. "I'm really tired."

"Oh, come on, May. It'll be fun!" Dawn promised.

"Well, OK, then, but I only want to play for a little while," May bargained.

"Deal!" Dawn replied and, wasting no time, began.

"May, truth or dare?" Dawn asked.

"Umm, err, truth I guess," May replied. She hadn't been expecting to be put on the spot so early.

"May, do you have a boyfriend?" Dawn questioned.

Blushing profusely, May closed her eyes and, upon opening them, answered.

"Yes."

* * *

Author's Note: A cliffhanger! Oh no! I'm sure you can all guess who May's boyfriend is (although you'll have to wait until the next chapter for confirmation), but that still doesn't explain the secret between Ash and May. That you'll have to work a little harder at.

In the current Japanese episodes of DP Dawn really does only have one ribbon and has entered five contests (I think) if you include the one in the movie. That's not something I made up, and I'm guessing she is feeling pretty down on herself at the moment.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you're all enjoying the story:)


	4. Misty, I Love You

White Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

"Misty, I Love You"

That was it, then. Ash and May were dating; Misty had confirmation. There was no denying it now. Misty would just have to face the facts and learn to deal with them.

"That's great, May." Misty, succeeding once again at putting up a front and disguising her true emotions, seemed genuinely happy for the Pokemon coordinator. "You're really lucky," the water Pokemon trainer added. _You have no idea how lucky you are_, Misty couldn't help thinking.

"Yeah, I know," May stated happily.

"Ash is really lucky, too," Dawn added as a way of congratulating May on obtaining Ash as a boyfriend.

"Huh? Why is Ash lucky?" May seemed thoroughly confused by Dawn's statement.

"Well, he's lucky to have such a great girlfriend," Dawn explained.

"Ash has a girlfriend?" May had a bit of trouble catching on to what Dawn was getting at.

"Well, yeah...you!" Dawn stated, as though she were explaining the obvious to a toddler.

"But I'm not Ash's girlfriend!"

Misty, who had been silently struggling with her feelings while May and Dawn were conversing, hadn't really heard much of the conversation between the two coordinators. When May stated this, however, he ears pricked up. Could it be true? What about all of the evidence, though?"

"Yes...yes, you are." Dawn was absolutely confused now.

"No, I'm not!"

Misty couldn't take it anymore! She had to find out what was going on!

"May, tell me: are you or are you not dating Ash?" Misty questioned.

"What? Me dating Ash? Of course not!" May could hardly believe what she was hearing. Why on Earth would they think that?

"But you said that Ash was your boyfriend," Dawn stated sheepishly.

"No, I said that I have a boyfriend; I never said it was Ash," May corrected. "My boyfriend's name is Drew."

"Drew? Who's that?" the other two girls stated in unison.

"He's another coordinator I first met while traveling in Hoenn. He also traveled through Kanto at the same time Ash and I did, and now he's also traveling through Johto. At first he was really mean to me, but he's really a very sweet guy and—"

"Wait a minute! You mean you're not dating Ash?" Misty interjected.

"No, Misty. I'm dating Drew. What made you think I was dating Ash?"

What made Misty think May was dating Ash? Oh, only about a million things! It was so obvious! Then again, May was saying that she wasn't dating Ash but was dating some Drew character. Could she believe her? Was there hope after all? What about all of the evidence, though?

"But May, Max said that you were never alone; wasn't he referring to Ash when he said that?" Misty asked.

"What? No, he was referring to Drew. You see, Drew travels with me throughout Johto, so I don't really travel alone," May explained.

"How come you didn't want Max to finish his statement, then?" Dawn questioned. "Why didn't you want everyone to know that you're traveling with Drew?"

"Because Ash and Brock don't know that Drew's my boyfriend, and if they find out that we're traveling together they might get suspicious. I don't want them to know because they'll tease me relentlessly. Before now, Max was the only one who knew about me and Drew."

Hope was growing inside Misty, but she couldn't let it become strong. There were still so many other unanswered questions...

"Why do you and Ash keep hugging, then? And why did Brock say that you and Ash have something between you that only you or Ash can tell me about?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, and why have you and Ash been talking on the phone so much lately?" Dawn added.

May suddenly looked sad, almost as if she were going to cry, in fact. Biting her lip, she tried desperately to hold back her tears.

"May, what's wrong?" Misty asked with genuine concern.

Still, May did not answer but only looked sadly at the floor.

"It's OK, May; you can tell us," Dawn stated kindly (though perhaps her motives had more to do with curiosity than kindness at the moment).

"Well, I didn't really want to tell anyone this, but I guess I can tell you guys. You see, my parents are getting divorced," May stated sadly.

"That's awful, May!" Dawn concluded. "What does that have to do with Ash, though?"

"Well, Ash and Brock are the only people besides Max who know about my parents. Ash has been trying to help me through this difficult time. That's why we've been talking on the phone so much. That's also why he hugged me when I came to the house; it was his way of trying to comfort me. I hugged him because when he got hurt I got scared that I would lose him; I'm so afraid of losing people now that my parents are getting divorced. I guess I just want to get as close to people as possible. That's why I hugged you, too, Misty; I was just so happy to see you and to be your friend. I want to hold on to all of the relationships I can right now."

With this May began to get teary eyed and both girls dashed over to embrace her.

"I'm so sorry, May," Misty stated simply. "I suppose Brock didn't want to tell me because it was really your business and he thought you or Ash should be the one to break the news."

"That's right, Misty. He was just trying to protect my privacy."

"Wow, May! Misty and I thought you and Ash were dating," Dawn explained.

"No, I'm really dating Drew. Ash and I are just really good friends."

"Yes, Ash is a really good friend, isn't he?" Dawn mused. "It was really nice of him to help you out like that. We're all so lucky to have him as a friend."

Yes, they were really lucky to have Ash as a friend, Misty thought. Ash was a great friend to everyone, both people and Pokemon. If only he could be something more to her...

* * *

Misty couldn't sleep at all that night. The events of the evening kept flashing before her. Ash and May weren't dating after all; May was dating Drew, whoever that was. That meant that she still had a chance with Ash...maybe. He had hugged her after all, right? Still, Ash had been very upset then, and he could have just been looking for comfort the same way May had been. It was all too confusing.

What would Ash see in Misty, anyway? She was scrawny, ugly, and mean to him; May and Dawn were beautiful and nice. Why would he possibly choose her over them? Well, Misty supposed that he couldn't choose May even if he wanted to because she was, in effect, "taken." What about Dawn, though? Dawn was pretty and kind and talented. (OK, so maybe she wasn't that talented yet, but Misty truly believed that she would be someday soon.) Ash had also called Dawn his training partner; surely that meant something, right? He also said that Misty would never have nice hair like Dawn. Just when one mystery had been solved another reared its ugly head.

Why couldn't Misty just give up on Ash? Daisy had urged her to move on so many times, but it was easy for her to say; she had gotten the guy of her dreams and Misty had not. Misty knew rationally that Ash was probably too obsessed with Pokemon to take any interest in girls (although that hadn't stopped her from immediately coming to the conclusion that he and May were dating, had it?) and Misty wasn't good enough for him, anyway, but she couldn't help clinging onto hope that someday she and Ash would be a couple.

Misty sighed sadly. Why could May and Daisy get boyfriends they loved and who loved them back and Misty couldn't? Was she inherently flawed in some way? Was she really that ugly? Sure, she had a temper, but was she really that nasty? Perhaps she was.

When Misty finally did fall asleep, it was a fitful sleep, one completely devoid of pleasant dreams.

The wedding was only one day away and it was starting to show. Everyone in the Ketchum residence was feeling the stress of the wedding. The girls worried that their dresses looked bad and the guys thought that their suites didn't fit correctly. Mrs. Ketchum was completely frazzled as she tried to get things in order for the ceremony. It wasn't unusual for her to burst into tears at any moment and to need to be comforted by one of the girls.

Because Mrs. Ketchum was so very stressed and about to snap at any moment, the kids thought it would be best to leave the house for a while in case she did, in fact, lose it, leaving them on the receiving end of her wrath. Once again they spent the afternoon picnicking at Professor Oak's Pokemon reserve.

As was the case before, everyone was enjoying the meal except for Misty, who had hardly slept the night before. Bleary eyed, she attempted to engage in the conversations at hand but often found herself unable to do so. Of course, the fact that she was so tired was only one reason Misty had trouble concentrating that afternoon; there was also the fact that she had other things on her mind.

Suddenly, just like before, a voice interrupted the conversation and the picnic.

"Hello, everyone!"

"Daisy!?" Misty could hardly believe her eyes, but sure enough her eldest sister was there in the flesh, receiving a loving embrace from her boyfriend Tracey. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm, like, here for the wedding. Duh."

"You were invited to the wedding?" Misty couldn't help but wonder why on Earth Daisy would be invited to the wedding.

"I invited her. She's my date for the ceremony," Tracey stated, sounding a bit hurt that his girlfriend hadn't received the warm welcome he thought she deserved.

"But where are Violet and Lily, your beautiful sisters?" Brock asked sadly. Though Brock had given up chasing after Daisy because she was dating Tracey, he couldn't help but continue to pine over the remaining two beautiful Sensational Sisters.

"Why would they be here? They, like, don't have dates!" Daisy commented.

"Misty doesn't have a date, either, and she was invited to the wedding," Ash butted in, adding "not that anyone would ever date Misty" under his breath.

"I heard that!" Misty replied, embarrassed and a little hurt by Ash's statement. "Your mother invited me to the wedding, Ash; I don't need a date. You need to stop making fun of me. You're always being so mean and nasty!"

"I am not! You're the one who's always mean and nasty!"

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"Will you guys cut it out?!" Brock interrupted. "We're all really getting sick of your arguing.

"He/she started it!" Both arguers blamed the other for the fight.

"I did not! You did!" Ash and Misty said in unison.

Only after a glare from Brock did Ash and Misty finally stop arguing.

* * *

The rest of the day went by relatively uneventfully. Everyone enjoyed walking around the Pokemon reserve (except for Daisy, who stated that her shoes were getting, like, totally ruined in the dirt and mud) and visiting with the Pokemon.

Anticipation was growing within the guys, for that night was to be Professor Oak's bachelor party, and they had all been invited (yes, even Max!). The girls prepared to head back to the house as the guys excitedly waited for the party to start.

"But Tracey, I want to stay with you," Daisy whined.

"I'm sorry, Daisy, but the party's for guys only. You'll have to go back to the Ketchum residence with the girls and wait there until the party's over. Then I'll come by and get you and bring you back here so we can catch up," Tracey explained.

"Oh, I can't wait to catch up!" Daisy then winked at her boyfriend, causing him to blush deeply.

The couple kissed goodbye (while Brock sobbed in the background, simply unaware as to why Tracey could get a beautiful girl and he still couldn't) and the girls headed back to the Ketchum residence.

* * *

Things were quite dull at the Ketchum house for the girls, who were eagerly waiting for the guys to come back so they could hear all about the party. The television was on, but no one was really watching it. Daisy was busy filing her nails while May and Dawn talked about Pokemon coordinating and Misty flipped through a book of crossword puzzles. Suddenly Daisy interrupted the monotony.

"Misty, can I, like, talk to you upstairs?" Daisy asked.

Misty wondered what was up, but did not refuse her sister's request. "Sure."

Daisy brought Misty up to guest room and, closing the door behind her, motioned for Misty to sit on the bed. Daisy then plopped down next to her.

"What's up, Daisy?"

"Well, Misty, I, like, wanted to talk to you about Ash," Daisy began.

"Ash? What about him?" Misty wasn't sure that she liked the direction this conversation was going in.

"Well, I think it's totally time that you, like, make your move," Daisy explained.

"Daisy! Be quiet; someone could hear you," Misty hissed, scared that the girls downstairs would overhear the conversation (even though there was no way they could). "What do you mean 'make my move'? You're always saying I should just move on from Ash!"

"Well, Tracey and I, like, talked it over, and he thinks you, like, actually have a chance with Ash, although I don't know why a runt like you would...not that he's a prize himself," Daisy finished.

"Daisy!"

Daisy could tell that her little sister's temper was flaring, so she decided to move onto what she viewed as the positives of the conversation.

"Like I said, Misty, Tracey thinks that Ash might actually, like, like you back."

"Oh, and you've been discussing my love life with Tracey?" Misty was about ready to pound her older sister.

"We just want to help you, Misty! Geeze, hold your Ponytas!"

"And since when do you want to help me?" Misty questioned.

"You're my baby sister and I, like, want you to be happy," Daisy replied, sounding a bit hurt that her sister felt that way about her.

"OK, OK...what did Tracey say?"

"Tracey thinks that Ash might have a crush on you."

"And what makes him think that?" Misty couldn't help but feel hopeful, but she couldn't let Daisy know that. Besides, she knew not to get her hope up too much; this was only Tracey's opinion, and she hadn't even heard the reasons why he thought Ash liked her. She knew Ash best and knew that he couldn't possibly like a scrawny loud-mouth like herself. It was best not to get excited so she wouldn't get hurt later.

"Well, Tracey didn't exactly say, but he, like, knows Ash pretty well, and when I insisted that you didn't have a chance with him, he, like, said that he had a feeling that you did."

That was the evidence? Tracey didn't even say why he felt like Ash had a crush on Misty? There was definitely no way she was getting her hopes up now.

"I don't know, Daisy..."

"Well, I do, Misty. I think you should, like, go for it at the wedding tomorrow," Daisy replied.

"Why tomorrow?" Misty questioned.

"Because you'll be looking beautiful in your blue dress and with your hair down and makeup on. Ash won't be able to resist."

"Do you really think so?" Again, Misty didn't want to get her hopes up, but a part of her couldn't help drinking in Daisy's words and believing that maybe, just maybe, things would work out.

"Sure...I mean, you'll be as pretty as, like, a runt like yourself can be. Obviously you'll never look like me," Daisy teased, but quieted when she received a Look of Death from Misty.

"Do you really mean it?" Misty asked.

"Yes, I do. I think you should go for it. I mean, Tracey's, like, never wrong."

"Right..." Misty had a hard time believing that Tracey was never wrong; she knew that her sister was biased when it came to her boyfriend.

Just then, Misty and Daisy heard one of the girls downstairs shriek.

"What was that?" Misty asked in alarm.

"We'd, like, better check it out," Daisy replied, adding as they went downstairs, "think about what I said."

What the two girls came upon downstairs was quite a sight. May looked extremely nervous and Dawn looked like she was about the burst out laughing, while the guys just looked around sheepishly. There, in the middle of the room, stood Ash. He was obviously drunk and smelled of vomit.

"Eww, Ash, don't come near me!" Dawn cried.

"What's going on?!" Misty questioned in horror.

"Ash, err, had a little too much to drink. We told him not to drink so much, especially because he's never really drank before, but he insisted that he could 'hold his alcohol'," Brock explained.

"I didn't drink anything!" Max boasted.

"Well, good for you!" May replied sarcastically.

"Misty, I don't feel so good." Ash swayed on the spot and Misty had to rush over to prevent him from falling.

"It's OK, Ash; I've got you," she reassured the drunk boy.

"No, Misty, I feel really sick." With that Ash threw up again, much of his vomit landing on Misty.

As grossed out as she was, Misty knew that Ash was really sick and that she had to get him to bed. She also knew that his mother would be furious if she found out that her young son was drunk. She helped him up the stairs and into bed, which was quite a task considering how drunk Ash was.

Once safely up the stairs and in Ash's room, Misty tucked Ash into bed.

"Just try to rest now, OK? I'm here if you need me," Misty comforted.

"Misty, I love you," Ash slurred.

Shocked, all Misty could do was stare as a single tear made its way down her cheek.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm sorry that it took a little bit longer than expected for me to post this chapter. I've been really busy getting ready to go back to school. I hope to get the next chapter done before I go back next Tuesday, and after that there's only one more chapter.

Yes, you were all right; May's boyfriend was Drew. No surprise there!

I'm not sure that I like how this chapter came out. It seems too dialogue intensive or something. In fact, I've haven't really liked where this story has gone since the first chapter. I'm definitely going to finish it, so you don't have to worry about that, but I'm not feeling that great about it right now. I also wish I could write longer chapters and stories, but I just can't seem to. Any advice?

I don't want anyone to think I'm encouraging underage drinking here because I made Ash drunk. Drinking in excess is bad, especially if you're underage.

Thanks to everyone who's been reading this. I hope you're all enjoying it. Don't forget to review. :)


	5. A Kiss and a Confession

White Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

A Kiss and a Confession

Misty tossed and turned in bed that night, unable to sleep as thoughts of Ash and what he had said filled her head. Could he have really meant it? Misty highly doubted it; he had, after all, been drunk. Besides, what could he possibly see in her? Misty was scrawny, ugly, and hot-tempered; Ash was none of those things. (OK, so maybe he had a bit of a temper, but it was nothing in comparison to Misty's.) 

No, Ash couldn't possibly like Misty like that. He was always teasing her and making fun of her. (Then again, Misty was always teasing and making fun of Ash, and she liked him that way, but she figured that she had to be the only person in the world to express affection the way that she did. Surely no one else, including Ash, was like that.) He had, after all, said that her hair would never be as nice as Dawn's and that no one would ever date her; that last statement seemed like all of the proof she needed. 

Still, Ash had said that he loved her; surely that meant something, right? No, Misty thought, it probably didn't; Ash was just drunk, and drunken people don't know what they're saying half of the time. 

Misty couldn't help crying. It was so unfortunate that she had to hear the words she had yearned to hear for so long in such a way, expressed without knowledge, without meaning, without thought. She had never dreamed it would be like this, picturing in her head the situation in which Ash would tell her he loved her in a totally different way. Still, she supposed that she deserved nothing better.

The next morning came far too early for Misty's liking, for she had once again gotten very little sleep. The other two girls, however, seemed pumped for the day and the wedding to begin.

"I'm so excited! This is going to be such a beautiful ceremony!" Dawn stated happily. 

"I know. Mrs. Ketchum makes such a lovely bride," May agreed.

"Aren't you excited, too, Misty?" Dawn asked, for Misty looked languid and didn't speak.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, of course I am," Misty responded, trying her best to fake happiness. Apparently she succeeded, because Dawn did not push the subject further.

"Misty, was Ash alright last night?" May questioned. "He was pretty sick."

"Yeah, he was fine once he fell asleep, which, luckily, didn't take very long," Misty replied. 

"It was really nice of you to take care of him like that," May added. "He's lucky to have you as a friend."

_Somehow I doubt Ash sees it that way_, Misty couldn't help thinking.

"Misty, did Ash say anything stupid last night? Sometimes when people are drunk they say really funny things, and we could all use a laugh to calm our nerves on the day of the wedding," Dawn prodded.

_How did she know_? Misty wondered. But there was no way Dawn could have known what Ash had said last night, Misty reasoned, chocking her reaction up to paranoia.

"No, he didn't. He was really tired and fell asleep really quickly."

"Oh, too bad," Dawn stated dejectedly. "I was really hoping he had said something dumb that we could use to make fun of him."

_Ash said something dumb alright_, Misty mused. She wasn't sure why she had protected Ash on that one...perhaps she was more protecting herself...

* * *

Misty twirled in front of the mirror, examining her slim body from all angles. A beautiful blue dress hugged her barely-there curves, cascading over her and landing just at her knees. Misty couldn't help but flush with excitement; she looked good! Maybe Daisy was right after all...

No, Daisy was Daisy; she was dumb and rarely right about anything. Besides, when Ash saw May and Dawn he would surely prefer them over her (although it didn't really matter about May because she was already taken). Misty had yet to see the two coordinators in their dresses, but she imagined that each girl would be ten times prettier than she. She was, after all, no matter how beautiful her dress was, just Misty, plain and scrawny with short carrot colored hair. 

Suddenly the sound of someone rapping on the door jostled Misty from her thoughts. She realized that she had been in the bathroom for a long time looking at herself and, figuring it was May or Dawn knocking in hopes of being able to examine herself in the mirror, the water Pokemon trainer figured it was only fair to let someone else use the room. Imagine her shock when she found Delia Ketchum staring at her from outside the room.

It was indeed Mrs. Ketchum, but it was Mrs. Ketchum like Misty had never seen her. Instead of her trademark low ponytail, Mrs. Ketchum had let her long auburn hair down; it reached her waist. A silver tiara sat atop her head. Most magnificent by far, however, was the woman's wedding dress, a lovely silver that accentuated all the right areas of her body. Misty couldn't help but stare. If only she could look like that!

"Wow, Mrs. Ketchum! You look beautiful!" Misty couldn't help gushing. 

"Oh, thanks, Misty! Do you really think so, though? I mean, I'm not sure that I like the way that my stomach sticks out and—"

"You look great, Mrs. Ketchum, so don't worry." Misty cut off the poor woman, who, in her nervousness about the approaching wedding, seemed to be seeing flaws that did not exist.

"Well, I'll let you use the bathroom," Misty began, still in awe of Mrs. Ketchum's beauty and unsure of what else to say.

"Actually, Misty, I was looking for you," Mrs. Ketchum stated. 

"Oh, really? Whatever for?" Misty nervously leaned against the wall of the bathroom. Had she done something wrong? Was Mrs. Ketchum angry at her? Had she found out about what had happened to Ash last night? If Mrs. Ketchum found out that Misty hid Ash's drunken state from her she would surely be furious. 

"Well, I have something for you." With that, Mrs. Ketchum reached into her beaded and sequined purse and pulled out a lovely silver barrette, one studded with jewels. The hair piece gleamed in the sunlight streaming in through the bathroom window, and Misty couldn't help but gape in awe. 

"I want you to wear this in your hair, Misty," Mrs. Ketchum began. "It belonged to my mother, but since I'm not wearing my hair up I figured you could use it," the older woman explained.

"Oh, Mrs. Ketchum, I couldn't possibly—"

"Really, Misty, I insist."

Realizing that this was a battle she probably could not win, Misty relented and let Mrs. Ketchum lovingly pull her hair back into a low ponytail with the clip, which perfectly suited her blue dress.

"There, now doesn't that look nice, dear?" Mrs. Ketchum beamed at the younger girl.

Misty had to admit that she was right; her hair did look nice.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Ketchum. I really don't know what to say." Misty stared at the floor, unable to meet the woman's eyes.

"You don't have to say anything, Misty. I'm just glad that someone was able to use it," Mrs. Ketchum replied.

There was still something that was bothering Misty, though.

"Why me, though? Why not one of the other girls? I mean, May and Dawn are much prettier than I am; surely the hair piece would look better on one of them." Misty looked flushed, embarrassed by what she had said. Still, she couldn't help saying it. It was how she felt, and at the moment she believed she could share her feelings with Mrs. Ketchum.

"Oh, I don't think so, Misty. You're just as pretty as any other girl. Besides, you've known Ash longest and have always been closest to him," Mrs. Ketchum answered.

Misty could hardly believe what she was hearing. Did Mrs. Ketchum really think she was closest to Ash? Why would she think that?

"Oh, I'm not so sure, Mrs. Ketchum. I mean, I don't think Ash likes me very much," Misty admitted sadly.

"Misty, now you know that's not true. Sometimes people just express affection in funny ways; that doesn't mean they don't like someone, though. Ash cares for you deeply, Misty. He talks about you more than anyone!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now don't think silly thoughts like that. I know my son, and I know when he cares about someone. Just be patient, Misty; sometimes these things take time," Mrs. Ketchum stated knowingly. With that, she exited the room, leaving Misty to ponder her words.

What did she mean by "sometimes these things take time"? Did Mrs. Ketchum know that Misty felt feelings that went beyond friendship for her son? How could she know, though? 

What about what she had said about Ash caring for her? Surely Mrs. Ketchum knew Ash better than anyone! Still, Misty wasn't sure if she could believe her or not; she was too afraid of getting her heart broken. 

* * *

Sweat stuck to Ash's suite. Embarrassed, he tried to fan himself with his hand, but the heat was relentless that day and no breeze blew through the trees. His socks felt squishy in his fancy black shoes. It was perfect weather for a fire Pokemon maybe, but it was not suited to young men wearing heavy black suites. 

"Brock, it's so hot!" Ash whined. "I just want to change out of this stupid suite already."

"Ash, the wedding hasn't even started yet," Brock remonstrated. The Pokemon breeder and the future Pokemon Master were joined by Tracey and were waiting for the wedding to begin. Each young man was a groomsman. Gary was the Man of Honor, something he liked to shove in Ash's face. ("You may be Grandpa's new son, but he still likes me best!")

"I know, Brock, but I'm so hot," Ash replied.

"Guys, be quiet. The wedding's going to start soon," Tracey reminded his companions. 

The wedding seemed like it was over before it had even begun. Ash joined Professor Oak, Gary, Tracey, and Brock at the alter, expectantly waiting for his mother to walk down the aisle. Before Mrs. Ketchum could join Professor Oak, however, the procession of the bridesmaids had to occur.

First came Dawn, looking confidant and quite lovely in a frilly pink dress. Her long deep blue hair had been perfectly curled. She smiled at Ash as she walked down the aisle, and Ash couldn't help but smile back.

Next May came down the aisle, wearing a pretty and airy yellow sundress. She wore her hair in two pigtails, each fastened with a yellow ribbon. She blushed slightly as she proceeded down the aisle. Despite becoming a skilled and relatively well-known coordinator, May still had some shyness and nervousness in her, Ash couldn't help but notice. He smiled at her as she approached him, and she hesitantly smiled back. 

Ash was getting antsy at this point; it was, after all, quite hot, and he was eager to see his mother. When was this ceremony going to end, anyway? In fact, Ash was not just getting antsy, but getting really antsy, and not just because he wanted to see his mother in her lovely gown; his stomach, letting out a low growl (much to Ash's embarrassment, of course), betrayed him, hinting at the real reason Ash wanted the ceremony to be over. After all, after the ceremony came the reception, and with the reception came food...lots of good food.

Because of these things Ash wasn't really paying attention after May had proceeded down the aisle. Consequently he nearly jumped a foot when Brock tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the aisle. Annoyed by this, Ash wondered what Brock wanted to show him and looked out towards the aisle. 

Misty was now walking down the aisle, but she almost didn't look like Misty. She wore a beautiful blue dress and, blushing, Ash noticed parts of her body that he had never noticed before. Her hair was pulled back, yes, but not in her trademark side ponytail; instead she wore it clipped back in a low ponytail. At this Ash had to do a double take, for he recognized the clip in Misty's hair as his late grandmother's. 

Ash must have been staring, because Misty gave him a funny look, almost as if to ask what he was doing. He blushed slightly. Misty then smiled at him, a pretty, lovely smile that Ash was always glad to see.

At that very moment Ash felt something funny, but it was not a bad feeling. It very much reminded him of the way he felt when Misty had touched his arm with her handkerchief after he had been injured in his battle with Gary and the way he had felt when Misty had spoken to him about his mother and Professor Oak the other night; the feeling had been particularly strong when he had embraced her that night. Now the feeling was back, and it felt as good as ever, although it did make Ash feel slightly sick to his stomach for some reason. What was this feeling that felt so very good? Why did Ash only seem to feel it when he around Misty?

The rest of the wedding seemed to rush by to Ash. His mother, of course, looked stunning, and he beamed with pride as she and Professor Oak exchanged vows. Before he knew it the ceremony had ended and it was time for the reception to begin. Ash was no longer thinking about food, though; all he could concentrate on was Misty and the strange feeling she seemed to produce inside of him.

* * *

"Wow, Pikachu! Is this food good or what?" Ash exclaimed while stuffing his face with rice balls.

"Pika!" The little electric mouse squealed in agreement. 

Ash and his Pokemon companion were pigging out at the buffet at the reception. While other guests and members of the wedding party were busy mingling and dancing with one another, Ash and Pikachu couldn't stay away from the food. 

Suddenly, someone tapped Ash on the shoulder. Annoyed at being interrupted while eating, the young Pokemon trainer turned around to find Tracey facing him.

"Oh, hey, Tracey! Isn't this food great? I love these rice balls!" Ash stated (though his mouth happened to be exceptionally full at the moment).

"Oh, yeah, it's excellent," the Pokemon watcher agreed.

"Next I'm going to try the pasta. Do you wanna come with me?" Ash questioned.

"What? Oh, no thanks. I was actually going to go dance with Daisy for a while," Tracey replied. 

"Oh, OK. Well, it's your loss," Ash stated as he began heading over to the table where the pasta was out on display

"Hey, Ash, wouldn't you like to, um, dance with someone, too?" Tracey inquired sheepishly. 

"Me? Oh, no. Dancing's girl stuff," Ash replied while making a face.

"Well, I've been dancing with Daisy, and I'm not a girl," Tracey reasoned. "Besides, I don't think Brock would consider dancing a girl thing; he's been asking all of the female guests for a dance, although no one will accept the poor guy's offer."

"That's Brock for you, always hitting on every girl and never getting anything in return!" Ash laughed. "Well, I'll see you Tracey." The future Pokemon Master began once again to head over to the pasta table.

"Uh, wait, Ash."

"What is it, Tracey? That pasta over there's really calling my name." Ash was quickly becoming annoyed with his friend. 

"Um, are you sure you don't want to dance with someone?" Tracey asked.

"I told you already, Tracey; I don't like that mushy stuff," Ash replied with disgust.

"I know, Ash, but I was thinking that maybe you and Misty could dance together."

"Oh, I don't think Misty likes that mushy stuff, either. She's hardly a girl, after all," Ash joked.

"I think Misty would like to dance, actually," Tracey began. "Besides, she certainly looks like a girl today. Doesn't she look pretty, Ash?" 

Ash couldn't deny that.

"Uh, I guess so," he stated sheepishly. 

"Well, then you should ask her to dance with you," Tracey concluded.

"But I really don't want to," Ash whined.

"Ash, please ask Misty to dance with you. I know it would make her really happy," Tracey begged.

"What if she says no?" Ash questioned.

"She won't say no, Ash. Trust me on this one."

"Well, OK, then, but only because you asked me to." Ash then left Tracey to find Misty.

"Good job, honey." Daisy came over and gave Tracey a peck on the lips.

"I don't know about this, Daisy. What if it backfires? I can't see this ending well." Tracey expressed his concerns to his girlfriend.

"Like, relax, Tracey. You, like, totally did the right thing by asking Ash to ask Misty to dance. It will, like, give Misty an opportunity to finally confess to him," Daisy reassured her boyfriend.

"What if he rejects her, though? Then how will she feel? What if Misty finds out that I asked Ash to ask her to dance?"

"You, like, worry too much, silly; it'll all work out. Come on, let's dance."

With that Daisy dragged her reluctant boyfriend onto the dance floor.

* * *

Ash nervously approached the place where Misty was sitting. Like the ceremony, the reception was being held outside on the professor's Pokemon reserve, and the heat was still bothering Ash. Surely that was why his palms were so sweaty, right? 

Ash felt an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why did he agree to do this, anyway? He knew this was a bad idea, and the way he was feelings only reinforced the fact. 

All too soon Ash had made his way over to Misty, who sat fanning herself in the shade of a large tree. She didn't notice him until he sat down next to her.

"Oh, hey, Ash. It sure is hot, isn't it?" Misty commented airily. 

"Oh, yeah, it definitely is." Ash just hoped that Misty didn't notice how sweaty he was.

"Your mother looked really beautiful today, Ash, and the ceremony was lovely, wasn't it?" 

"Oh, yeah, um, listen, Misty, can I ask you something?" Ash figured it was now or never. The sooner he asked Misty to dance, the sooner this whole thing would be over.

"Sure, Ash. You can always talk to me," Misty reassured the nervous boy.

"Well, um, Misty, I was, um, wondering if you would dance with me..." Ash sort of mumbled the last part.

"What's that, Ash? I'm sorry, but I didn't quite hear you."

"I was wondering if you would dance with me." There. He said it.

"Sure, Ash! Let's go!"

Misty then grabbed Ash by the hand and led him over to the dance floor. 

Unaware of what to do, Ash awkwardly put the wrong arm around Misty's waist. Correcting him, Misty noticed a slight blush come across his face.

"Ash, you're stepping on my feet!" Misty reprimanded. 

"Err, sorry, Misty. I guess I'm not very good at this," Ash replied.

"You're doing fine, Ash. Just try to relax."

Relax? How could Ash relax when he felt like the whole world was watching him make a fool out of himself? How could he relax when his arm was around a girl's waist, and not just any girl, but a girl who happened to look exceptionally pretty that day and also a girl who happened to be one of his closest friends?

Much to his surprise, however, Ash eventually did relax. With Misty's help he even began to perform the dance steps correctly. Ash even began having fun and enjoying himself. He _liked _dancing, and, more importantly than that, he liked dancing with Misty.

The best part of all, however, was the fact that the mystery feeling, the one that felt so good, returned. Giddy with excitement, Ash never wanted the dancing to end. The pair danced through many songs, outlasting many of the couples on the dance floor.

Unfortunately, Ash's feet grew sore and he had to take a break. He and Misty sat down under the tree again.

"Um, Ash, I just wanted to thank you for asking me to dance. I had a really good time." Ash noticed a slight blush make its way across Misty's face as she said this. 

"I had a good time, too, Misty."

The friends sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the moment. Each wanted to say something, but neither knew what to say. The silence became slightly awkward, and it was Misty who broke it.

"Ash, I'm going to go get some punch. Would you like some?"

Ash replied that he would, and Misty made her way towards the punch table. While filling her cup she heard two voices.

"...and I, like, never thought they were going to stop dancing!"

"I guess you were right, Daisy. I should have trusted you more."

"Like, damn right you should have, Tracey! I told you that telling Ash to ask Misty to dance was a good idea!"

Shocked, Misty almost spilt punch all over her lovely blue dress. What? She should have known that it was too good to be true! It was just some stupid plan of Daisy and Tracey! Grabbing the punch cups, she ran towards Ash.

"Here's your punch!" She threw the punch at Ash, staining his expensive suite. A bewildered Ash could only watch in amazement as Misty stormed off to the water Pokemon area of the reserve.

What had he done? They were having such a good time dancing, and now Misty seemed furious with him. Surely Ash would never understand girls.

* * *

Once again Misty found herself crying at the side of the river where the reserve's water Pokemon lived. For a moment she had actually let herself think that maybe, just maybe, Ash liked her after all. He had asked her to dance and everything! She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up and let her guard down, though. Like always, it only resulted in disappointment.

She should have known that Ash didn't ask her to dance through his own free will. She should have known that he would not have really wanted to dance with her. She should have known better.

No, Ash would never like a scrawny, ugly, hot-tempered girl like herself. What could he possibly see in her? Nothing, she was sure. 

The sound of someone walking through the grass startled her. It was the last person she wanted to see.

"What do you want, Ash?" She glared at him while hastily wiping away her tears. She would never let Ash see her cry.

"I just wanted to see if you were OK. Are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine! I'm going to go back to the reception!" Misty snarled.

Before Misty could leave, however, Ash had grabbed her arm and forced her to stay.

"I want you to tell me what's wrong, Misty. We were having such a good time, and then you became so angry at me and I don't know why," Ash confessed.

"Why am I angry? Surely you can figure it out, Sherlock!"

Misty went to leave again, but yet again Ash grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

"No, I can't figure it out. Please tell me!" Ash pleaded. 

"Think for a minute, Ash. Now, let me ask you a question: why did you ask me to dance?"

"Because Tracey told me to," Ash answered without much thought, his ignorance about love keeping him from realizing that such a reply could hurt Misty.

"Exactly. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the reception," Misty said through clenched teeth.

"But that still doesn't explain why you're upset with me," Ash replied.

Misty sighed, sitting down by the river again. There was no way Ash was going to let up. Could she really tell him the reason she was upset, though? Would he assume too much? No, this was dense Ash; he probably wouldn't figure it out.

"I'm upset because I thought you danced with me because you wanted to dance with me, but it turns out you only did it because Tracey told you to. Here I was thinking you were having a good time when it was probably torture for you."

"But I was having a good time, Misty. It wasn't torture at all. Why does the reason why I danced with you matter? Isn't what matters the fact that we had a good time?"

"No, Ash, that's not all that matters. The fact of the matter is that you didn't want to dance with me. You don't like me and I know it," Misty stated softly, the last part slipping out without her control.

"I didn't want to dance with you because I thought dancing was sissy stuff and that I would hate it, but it turns out that I really liked dancing with you. Misty, it has nothing to do with you; I didn't want to dance with anyone. And what makes you think I don't like you?"

What Ash said made some sense (surprise, surprise!), but Misty wasn't going to let her guard down that easily. All she had to do was think about what happened when she had done so earlier while dancing with Ash.

"Why do I think you don't like me? Pff, there are so many reasons!"

"Oh, yeah, like what?" Ash challenged. 

"Like the fact that you're always making fun of me!"

"You're always making fun of me, too!" Ash retorted.

Again, Ash surprisingly had a point. Misty had to think of something better.

"Well, why did you want to train with Dawn instead of me the other day? We always used to train together!" There. There was no way Ash could get out of that one.

"Because Dawn and I always train together now! You're not with me anymore, so I need someone to train with, and Brock's more into breeding. Besides, your water Pokemon are far more experienced and better trained than Dawn's Piplup; I thought it could use the experience. God, Misty, why do you care?"

Why did she care? Why did she care? She cared because she was head over heels in love with him, that's why! Still, she couldn't tell him that. Misty had to be careful with what she said; she didn't want to reveal too much information. 

"I care because I thought we were friends."

"We are friends, Misty! You're the best friend I've got outside of Pikachu!"

"I am?" Misty's expression softened at this confession.

"Of course! You've been with me from the beginning of my journey! You were there for me when no one else was!" 

Misty didn't reply to this. Deep in thought, she couldn't help but soak in what Ash was saying. She was Ash's best human friend? Could it really be true? Still, she wanted to be so much more...

"How could you like me, though? I'm ugly and scrawny and hot-tempered!"

"Misty, you're not ugly. You look very pretty today." (At this both Ash and Misty blushed.) "And I like you the way you are, even if you are scrawny and hot-tempered. Besides, we wouldn't be Ash and Misty if we didn't fight, right?"

Misty nodded. "Right."

The duo sat in silence for a while, each thinking his or her own thoughts. Misty couldn't help but smile. Ash liked her for her. He even said so. Suddenly Ash interrupted the quiet. 

"Misty, I just want to thank you for being so nice to me these past few days. I know it hasn't been easy, but I just want to say that I really appreciate the way you comforted me and talked some sense into me that night I was upset and the way you took care of me when I was, you know...drunk." 

"You're welcome, Ash. I'm here whenever you need me. I hope you know that," Misty replied sincerely.

Silence once again took over. Much to Misty's surprise, however, Ash reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. She squeezed back. She found herself leaning in and moving closer to Ash.

Ash's face was inches away from hers. "You really do look pretty today, Mist," Ash stated softly.

Then they kissed. And that was that. Well, almost...

The kiss lasted for quite awhile, but then the pair finally broke apart.

"Ash, I love you."

With that, Ash stood upright and immediately fled the scene. 

* * *

Author's Note: I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to upload this chapter. I have no excuse, really; it's not even like I've been that busy. The truth is I've been playing Pokemon Pearl like some kind of addict. I'm trying to train a team for wifi, but it takes forever to get everyone up to level one hundred, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating and time-consuming. 

The other reason it took so long for me to write this chapter is the fact that I really had no motivation to write it. I'm just not happy with this fic. It's too dialogue-intensive and not descriptive enough. By today (after a few weeks) I still only had a third of this chapter written, but I pushed myself to finish it tonight, so here it is. There's only one chapter left now. Don't worry—I will finish this story!

I finally figured out how to add line breaks into stories, so I'm going to put those into this chapter and the other chapters (and some of my other stories as needed). I'm sorry if not having the line breaks confused people.

Thanks for your patience. I hope you're enjoying this story. Please review:) 


	6. The Aftermath

White Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

The Aftermath

Ash pumped his legs as hard as he could, desperate to get away from Misty. What in the world had just happened? One minute he and Misty were talking and the next...oh, God, he had kissed a girl. Or had she kissed him? Did it really matter?

The young groomsman found himself back at the reception, far away from the stream where he and Misty had sat. Still, he continued to wiz by people (who couldn't help but shake their heads in amusement) in an attempt to get as far away from the scene as possible. In fact, Ash had every intention of running back home and locking himself in his room for the rest of his life. The plan would have worked if someone hadn't have stopped him.

"Whoa, Ash, just where are you going in such a hurry?" A bemused Professor Oak grabbed Ash by the arm as the teenage boy attempted to dash home.

"Can't talk...Gotta get home...Misty...Gotta go...Sorry," Ash panted, the words he spoke barely coherent.

"Settle down! Wait a minute, Ash; you can't go home already. Why would you want to go home? And why is your suite stained pink?"

"Misty...Oh, God...She's going to kill me...Gotta get home!"

Ash had hoped that the Pokemon professor would somehow understand his plight and leave him to run home, but the groom's grip only tightened on his arm. Ash attempted to break free of the vice grip, wincing painfully when Professor Oak simply held on tighter.

"Ash, what happened with Misty?" the professor inquired.

"Huh? Oh, um, nothing." Ash had finally regained his breath and could now speak more easily.

"Come over here, Ash. I think you and I should have a little talk." Professor Oak led the bewildered boy over to a more private area where they could not be overheard.

"Sit down, Ash. Make yourself comfortable."

Ash did not like the direction this conversation was going in. Didn't Professor Oak understand that he absolutely, positively had to get home right at that instant? He didn't have time to talk to the newly married man. Still, much to Ash's chagrin, the professor pressed on.

"Ash, what do you think about girls?"

Ash thought this was a funny question indeed. Where was Professor Oak going with this?

"Um, not much to be honest with you," Ash answered truthfully. "I mean, May and Dawn are girls and they're OK. Oh, and I suppose Misty's a girl, too," he hastily added.

"How come you think of May and Dawn as girls but not Misty?" the Pokemon professor asked.

"I don't know. I mean, May and Dawn are all into girly stuff like hair and clothes and makeup, and Misty, well, Misty's more like me. I mean, she's just Misty."

"What do mean when you say that Misty's just Misty, Ash?"

"Um, I don't know. When I think of Misty I just think of her as my friend. When I think of May and Dawn I think of them as girls; they're different from me, you know? Misty, though, Misty is the same as me. She's not like other girls. She's just...different," Ash finished.

"Do you think you feel differently about Misty than you do about other girls?"

"Well, sure. I can be myself when I'm around her. I don't have to worry about whether or not I smell badly or how my hair looks or what I'm wearing. That's how it was when I traveled with her. When I traveled with May and Dawn, though, I was always self-conscious because, well, they're girls, and guys are supposed to be self-conscious around girls. It's just different with Misty somehow."

"Ash, do you think you love Misty?"

Whoa! Where had that one come from? Ash and the professor had been talking about Misty and girls and all of the sudden Professor Oak asks that? Ash was left dumbfounded. He and Misty had kissed. Misty had said she loved him. That's why Ash was running away in the first place, to escape the feelings he was experiencing because of those two events. Confusion, shock, fear: all of those feelings together made for a very jumbled up Ash.

Surely Professor Oak couldn't have known about what had happened by the water Pokemon stream, right? Was he spying on them or something?

After a long pause, the professor spoke up again.

"Ash, did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah, Professor, I heard what you said. I just don't know why you would ask that," Ash responded honestly.

"Well, you said that you feel differently about Misty than you feel about other girls," the professor reasoned.

"That's because Misty's different from other girls! It doesn't mean I love her! Love is for sissies!" Ash was becoming very defensive.

"Oh, I don't think love is just for sissies, Ash. I love your mother. Do you think I'm a sissy?" Professor Oak questioned.

"No, you're just old," Ash replied.

The professor couldn't help but chuckle at this.

"So love is only for sissies and old people?" Professor Oak asked Ash.

"Pretty much," Ash replied truthfully.

"Well, you love your mother, don't you?"

Ash had to admit that Professor Oak was good. He had him there.

"Well, yeah, but she's my mom. That's different," Ash responded after a long pause.

"Ash, the only reason I bring this up is because you're getting older and you may start to develop feelings for girls. I want you to be ready when you do."

Realizing that perhaps this was his chance to get some answers, Ash decided to speak up.

"Professor, what is it like to, err, have feelings for girls? What does it feel like to be in love?"

"Well, Ash, it's a feeling like no other. It makes you feel happy and excited but also nervous at the same time. It's a funny feeling, really, one you can't quite describe, and one that seemingly comes out of no where; it hits you when you least expect it. It makes you feel like you're on top of the world...but it can also make you feel sick to your stomach," the professor finished.

Funny thing, love, Ash mused. Wasn't that exactly how he felt about Misty? Did that mean he was in love with Misty? Falling in love certainly had not been a part of Ash's life plan; he would become a Pokemon Master and live side by side with his Pokemon until he became old and died. Love was never part of the picture. Could he make room for it, though?

"Professor, I...I think that's how I feel about Misty...but I'm not sure," Ash stated sheepishly.

"Well, Ash, it's very common to feel confused about love the first time you experience it. Love can be a very scary thing, and it's not unusual for people to feel uneasy about it at first," the professor replied knowingly.

"I just don't know, Professor. I mean, I think I feel that way, but when I think about love I feel scared and, well, funny. When Misty and I kissed, though, well, it felt good...really good," Ash confessed.

"Misty kissed you?"

"Well, I'm not really sure if she kissed me or I kissed her. It just sort of happened."

The professor nodded in understanding, so Ash decided it was safe to press on.

"After we kissed she told me she loved me. That's why I ran away. I didn't know what to say to her. I was just so scared and confused; I didn't know what to do. Now I'm never going to be able to face her again. I mean, things are going to be so awkward between us now. It's like our friendship is ruined," Ash stated sadly, a frown making its way across his face.

"Ash, sometime love can be very difficult and, yes, awkward at first. It doesn't mean it will always be like that; things do get better. I don't think your friendship is ruined, either."

"You don't?"

"Ash, you and Misty have been great friends for a long time. I'm sure things will work themselves out in the end."

"But what do I say to her? How do I face her after running away?"

"Well, I think you should say to her exactly what you just said to me," the professor replied.

"I just don't know if I can ever talk to her or see her again," Ash admitted.

"You don't really have a choice, Ash. You can't avoid her forever. It's not like you can stay locked up in your room for the rest of your life."

Funny, because that's exactly what Ash had planned on doing.

"I guess you're right, Professor. I suppose I should go look for her."

"That a boy, Ash. Good luck! It'll be fine!"

Ash wasn't so sure about that. He had a feeling that what he was about to do next was going to be more difficult than any Pokemon battle he had ever participated in.

* * *

Misty couldn't believe how stupid she had been. What on Earth had compelled her to say that to Ash? Surely she hadn't been thinking, because if she had been she would have known better. The kiss must have messed up her head or something. The kiss...oh, what a wonderful kiss it had been! Misty wished it could have lasted forever. Hadn't she dreamed about it for years? It had gone so perfectly, just the way she had always imagined it would. Then she had to go and ruin everything.

Of course Ash had run away. He simply was too kind and didn't want to hurt her; instead of telling her that he didn't love her, he just ran off, leaving the words unsaid in hope of sparing Misty's feelings. Somehow what he had done made her feel even worse, though.

Misty trudged back to the reception, carrying her heels in her hand because her feet were so sore from walking in them. She didn't care if the soles of her feet became dirty at that point; the only person she wanted to look pretty for had just rejected her.

As she made her way over to one of the tables to get some punch (for she was quite thirsty), Misty caught sight of Mrs. Ketchum. Hastily turning around, she decided she would rather not talk to the woman if at all possible; she really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at that point. Too late.

"Hello, Misty!" Mrs. Ketchum exclaimed cheerfully.

"Oh, hi, Mrs. Ketchum. The wedding was really beautiful. Thanks so much for inviting me," Misty responded.

Misty certainly didn't want to be rude, but she had to get away from the party, so she turned to head back to the Ketchum residence, where she hoped she could be alone with her difficult feelings.

"Wait, Misty! Where are you going?" Mrs. Ketchum called after her.

Damn. Just when she thought she could get away.

"Oh, um, I was going to head back to the house. My feet are really sore and I'm really tired. I hope you don't mind," Misty explained hastily.

"What, dear? You want to leave already? Are you sure?"

Misty sighed, though she hadn't really meant to. She knew she was probably hurting Mrs. Ketchum's feelings, but she couldn't help wanting to be alone and as far away from Ash as possible. Of course, she knew she would have to face him eventually, but she wanted to put off the inevitable for as long as she could possibly could.

"Misty, is something wrong?" Mrs. Ketchum asked after hearing the teenager sigh.

"Huh? Oh, um, I just think I made a big mistake; that's all," Misty replied, hoping against hope that she would be able to escape. No such luck.

"What happened?" A look of genuine concern crossed Mrs. Ketchum's face, and for a moment Misty gave in and decided that maybe confiding in someone wouldn't be such a bad idea. She toyed with the idea for a while, eventually deciding she would tell Mrs. Ketchum. After all, the woman seemed sincerely interested in what was going on and concerned for Misty, and maybe she could give her some advice.

"Mrs. Ketchum, do you think that I could talk to you in private somewhere?" Misty asked.

"Sure, Misty. How about we go over there?" Mrs. Ketchum pointed at a spot near some trees and the two females made their way towards it and sat down.

"What is it, Misty?"

What was she going to say? How could she tell this woman that she had told her son that she loved him and that her son had proceeded to reject her? Surely Mrs. Ketchum would defend Ash; in fact, she would probably be angry with Misty for saying such a thing. Maybe talking to her about this hadn't been such a great idea after all.

"Well, I, um, don't really know how to say this, but I think I ruined my friendship with Ash." Misty decided to stay vague and avoid giving details if at all possible.

"What do you mean, Misty? How so? I saw you and Ash dancing earlier; you looked like you were having such a nice time," Mrs. Ketchum replied.

Yes, they had been having a nice time until Misty had to go and ruin it all.

"Ash and I were having a great time. That's the thing, Mrs. Ketchum—perhaps we were having too good of a time."

"Misty, I can't possibly help you if you don't give me any details," Mrs. Ketchum explained. Her expression then softened. "It's OK, Misty. You can tell me what happened. I promise I won't be angry with you."

How did Mrs. Ketchum know that Misty was afraid that she would be angry with her? It was like this woman had some kind of sixth sense. Well, Misty decided, she might as well just say what had happened and get it over with.

"Um, well, I found out that Ash only asked me to dance with him because Tracey told him to and I got really upset but then Ash came over and made me feel better and before I knew it we were kissing and then I told Ash I loved him and then he ran away," Misty explained, only stopping to catch her breath when she was through.

"I see," Mrs. Ketchum stated simply.

"Mrs. Ketchum, I don't know what to do! Why was I so stupid? Ash probably hates me now!"

"Come now, Misty; I don't think Ash hates you," Mrs. Ketchum said softly.

"Of course he does! Why else would he run away?" Misty questioned. "I've ruined our friendship forever!"

"Misty, calm down! I don't think Ash ran away because he hates you and I don't think you've ruined your friendship with him, either."

"Why else would he run away?"

"Maybe he was just scared and confused," Mrs. Ketchum stated wisely.

"Scared and confused about what?" Misty wasn't sure that she understood where this conversation was going.

"About being in love, of course. Something you have to understand, Misty, is that this is all very new to Ash; he doesn't understand it yet."

"It's new to me, too, though, and I understand it!" Misty shot back.

"Misty, girls get these things much more quickly than boys do. They're much more in tune with their feelings than boys are."

"I'm still not sure that I understand what you're saying," Misty admitted.

"What I'm trying to say, Misty, is that Ash probably didn't know what to say in response to what you said."

"He's supposed to say 'I love you, too'!"

"I know, Misty, but Ash doesn't know that," Mrs. Ketchum explained.

"How can he not know?"

"Misty, Ash is probably very scared right now. I'm sure that no girl has ever said that to him before. He probably doesn't know how to react."

"Well, he could have just said he didn't love me instead of running off like that and leaving me not knowing what to think."

"That's the thing, Misty. It's not that Ash doesn't love you; it's just that he's probably scared to love you and confused about his feelings," Mrs. Ketchum stated.

"You mean that you think Ash loves me?" Misty asked softly. Could she really hope for that, or would believing it just result in her being crushed again?

"Yes, Misty, I do. I'm just not sure that Ash knows it."

"What do you think I should do?" Misty questioned.

"Well, Misty, I think you should just keep being his friend. Friendship is the first step to love, and the stronger the friendship the more likely it is that love will occur; your friendship with Ash is very strong. Just give him some time, Misty. Are you willing to wait for him?"

"Yes," Misty answered softly.

"Then I promise that you won't be disappointed," Mrs. Ketchum stated with a smile on her face. "Come on now; let's get back to the reception. Everyone's going to be wondering where I am."

"Mrs. Ketchum?"

"Yes, Misty?"

"Um, well, thank you...I mean, for everything."

"You're welcome, Misty."

Mrs. Ketchum then embraced Misty, a hug that the teen gratefully returned.

* * *

There she was. Ash had spotted Misty over by the punch table talking with Brock. He knew that he had to approach her now. Butterfrees danced in his stomach, but Ash pressed on. As difficult as this was going to be, he knew that he had to do it. Before he knew it he had reached the punch table.

"Oh, hey, Ash. Great punch, huh?" Brock greeted him. Misty, he noticed, blushed slightly and looked at the ground. Yup, this was definitely going to be awkward and difficult.

"What? Oh, yeah, sure, Brock. Listen, do you think that I could talk with Misty alone?"

"Oh, sure. I'll see you two later." Brock then left to go chase another girl.

It was only then that Misty looked at him. Ash couldn't help but notice that she looked as frightened as he did.

"Hi, Misty," Ash began nervously.

"Hi, Ash," the gym leader replied.

"Listen, Misty, I just wanted to, well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry."

"Huh? Oh, no, Ash. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have said that to you," Misty stated sadly.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," Ash responded.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry." Misty's voice was rising now.

"No, me." Ash's voice rose to meet Misty's.

"Me!"

"No, me!"

"Me!"

"No, me!"

Ash and Misty paused for a moment, looking at one another intently. Then they burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I didn't mean to turn this into a fight," Misty stated.

"I'm sorry, too, Misty.

An awkward silence made its presence known at that moment. All Misty and Ash could do was look at one another.

"Misty, I shouldn't have run off like that. It's not that I don't love you, Misty. I was just scared and confused when we kissed and when you said that to me; you see, I've never been in love before, and, honestly, I'm not quite sure how it's supposed to work. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

"It's OK, Ash; I understand. This is new to me, too," Misty confessed.

"But you seem like such an expert about these things, Misty. You always seem to know what you're doing when it comes to love. Me, I know nothing."

Misty couldn't help but laugh at this. "I'm not an expert, Ash! I know just as little as you do. I'm still learning, too. You and me...we can learn together," Misty stated softly.

"You mean that, Misty? You're willing to stick by me even if I'm not ready to do all of that boyfriend and girlfriend stuff yet?"

"Of course, Ash. Above everything else, you're my friend, and you'll always be my friend. That's what's most important. Everything else can wait until you're ready."

"Thank you, Misty!" Ash flung his arms around the surprised girl, who gleefully hugged him back

"I'm so glad you're my friend," Ash confessed.

"I'm glad you're my friend, too, Ash," Misty replied.

"Can I just ask you for one favor, Misty?"

"Of course, Ash," Misty responded.

"Can I have another kiss?"

* * *

Author's Note: It's finally done. I'm not too pleased with this fanfic (it's too dialogue intensive and rushed at the end, I know), but at least it's done. I promised everyone I would finish it, and I wouldn't want to break my promise. I do feel semi-accomplished; this is my longest fic yet (which is kind of sad considering it's only six chapters and about twenty thousand words, but I guess I'm just meant for shorter stories), and I'm glad that I finished it even though I didn't really like it.

I have lots of ideas for future fics. Look for two one shots, one of which will be Ash centered and another of which will be humorous (or at least I'm going to attempt to be humorous). I also have two chapter fics in my mind, a sequel to my first fic (Hard Water) as well as a May-centric fic (which is very different for me, since I usually focus on Misty). Don't worry, though; even though it's based around May, it will still have plenty of AAML.

Thanks to everyone who's stuck with the story and who's reviewed, especially to those who've reviewed consistently (you know who you are). Don't forget to review this chapter.

Take care, everyone:)


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